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168272125 Responseshttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.elephantjournal.com%2F2011%2F05%2F10-reasons-i-like-being-single%2F10+Reasons+I+like+being+Single.2011-05-18+23%3A58%3A44elephant+journalhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.elephantjournal.com%2F%3Fp%3D168272 to “10 Reasons I like being Single.”

1) Freedom…to do whatever ya' want, whenever ya' want
2) Clothing optional…cook supper nekkie, lol…with no one groping, ogling, or stalking ya' (or critiquing you)
3) No freaky friends or family members of his in your home, messin' with your stuff
4) Peace, quiet, and lots and lots of privacy
5) Can sit by the window doing absolutely nothing without judgment/comment (including unspoken)
6) Be messy or tidy as it suits you on any given day–and it stays that way as long as you like
7) Can dance and sing "like nobody's watching," lol
8) You rule–money, TV, computer, bed time…
9) Magic happens in solitude–like with meditation, it spurs those cool synchronicities
10) No sharing stuff you don't wanna share — like the bathroom.

[…] For now, being alone seems increasingly attractive: I can work obsessively, which I need to do right now; I have time to exercise; and I don’t have anyone trying to fix me except me—and my first therapist, and my meditation instructor—and they both realize I’m fundamentally blue sky, as are we all. […]

[…] I had been to the drum circle many times before, but last Sunday on the anniversary of September 11th, I wandered to the park alone, having been too late for a yoga class, and too tired to trek home, and too caught up in my singularity. […]

How about being free from the overwhelming burden of feeling like you NEED to find someone to live with, or to spend the rest of your life with? Being free from the bio-social conditioning inherent in the human experience that explains to us how we ought to spend every waking day of our lives? Free to explore the deep and ever-expansive well of meaningfulness and rich beauty right in front of our faces that is of pure existence unencumbered and unconditioned…. Or even non-selfishly cultivating a genuine, deep, authentically true relationship with the whole of life and the ever-living moment without feeling the pressing need to make that all about one other person and their own unique quirks? Not being blinded by the amazingness of that one person so that you can, instead, focus on falling in love with the whole of humanity, or the raw naked moment itself? How about taking our focus off of the urge to couple, and getting away from the clingy need to "be" with someone, and learning to be a good person all on our own? How about having more time to be honest with ourselves about who we are, what we feel, what makes us tick, how we have organized our lives, and so on, without the burden of the karma of a relationship to keep our head spinning and hands whirling about juggling moment to moment karmas of interaction? How about quiet, stillness, and peace? How about a space to stop and meditate whenever the "urge" arises? How about being free to redefine who you are or what you are doing at a moments notice, or to let go of what you find you are holding onto at a moments notice, without the burden of feeling like you have to find a way to explain that to someone else, or justify your change in course?

It is the opposite of selfishness, but it is also the opposite of that. Unhitching from focusing on the beauty of that "one" person, and unhitching from the recognition that we can grow so much from that one person, certainly leaves us open to cultivate that intimacy with the whole of life.

Now, finding those freedoms with someone else in your daily life? That would be pricelessly awesome.

let's see, freedom from dysfunctional relationship dynamics, and freedom to walk my path, honestly see who I am, differentiated from others and so maybe I can actually get a clue. learning not to grasp. learning about love.
my life with my three sons is sweet, open, and real, they get the real me, loving and creative, not restricted and defined by relationship.

FREEDOM!!! … is all i ever wanted …. best way to enslave a women is to marry her off and make her have babies!!! that is enslavement !! that is waste of a good women … we are soo much more than that! …..ask the dali!

spare the life affirming enriching crap … that is what all good codependents say…hello pot , this is the kettle …. there is nothing more gratifying then knowing one can be totally self sustainable in mind body soul and connection to source … i do not derive my energy or love from any one but my self and god.dess….

My husband and 4-year-old son are away from home tonight….I'm home with my 1-year-old daughter who went to bed at 6pm….no other plans…..I made a nice dinner for myself, watched some TV and worked on art projects…..it was actually a marvelous evening!

……but most things really aren't worth doing unless you can share them with someone. I'm glad my house is chaotic and messy….I'm a better person for it. But a reprieve every now and then is important.

Eat what I want, when I want
Don't have plan meals if I don't want to, can just eat toast if I want to
No compromises
Can go out when I want, with whoever I want
Can stay out for longer or til late if I'm enjoying myself , don't have to explain myself
Can chat to whoever as long as I feel like it
Don't have to spend time with other people's relatives
Don't have to manage my own relatives, I can just relax with them

I could go on. …. I am in a very loving, respectful and gentle relationship right now, by the way. But loving being single is a great way to live. I'm glad I got the chance to do that!

If I'm in a relationship, I just hang out with my boyfriend all the time and don't leave the house/have new experiences as much. Like yesterday, I decided to go to a jazz bar on my own and ended up having a great night! Also, build confidence in myself as a single woman.

Grateful that I really can't relate to this article. I've been single for a while, but rarely feel bored, lonely or short on things to plan for! I might not have anyone to curl up with at the end of the day, but feel connected in a way that many of my "coupled" friends do not know. I am madly in love! Not with one particular person, but with my life and community.

Wouldn't it be beautiful if you could find freedom to be all (or most) of the things you listed while still in a relationship? Seems like the trick is not letting all these irritables get to you and just appreciating the person you are with.

PS: The most important thing I forgot to add, is that I just have overall more peace of mind when I'm alone. Being in a relationship brings up a lot of stress, anxiety, & fear in me. I have insecure attachment issues (which I'm working on w/ a professional & have been for some time) but I have a ways to go to rectify that. Until I get a better, stronger grasp on those things, I just have more peace of mind & live a more stress- free life when I'm single.

I’m glad to see this. Mostly you see articles/lists about how to find “the one”, how to know if you’ve met your soulmate, how to spot red flags in a relationship, or others that suggest that being alone is a problem, etc. I have chosen to remain single after quite a few failed relationships. I uses to feel the need to be in one because , who wants to be alone? (Or so I thought) however is is SO freeing to have time to read whatever I want, watch whatever hours long instructional videos I want, and not have to be around someone that (as I am an empathy) drains me of all of my positivity and happiness when they are in a bad mood. Having someone seem to depend on you for their happiness is like having a leech attached to your heart. Unfortunately I only have enough positivity and happy for me and my children. I’m going to be alone for a while.

I can eat, sleep, sing, write, read, work, travel, visit friends, run, swim, flirt, dance, stay up all night, take a road trip, talk on the phone or WHATEVER if I want, how I want, when I want … without dealing with any drama (sulking, arguments, sadness, etc. afterwards!).